Manure drying shed arrangement

ABSTRACT

A manure drying shed arrangement for starter-grower-layer cage batteries, in which chicks are kept and may be raised to maturity, comprising in combination batteries of cage rows supported by A-frames which are in turn supported on transversely extending joists. The batteries of cage rows are arranged at different elevational levels with the topmost battery being supported at the apex of the A-frame. Each battery includes a pair of cage rows each of which is secured to one leg of the Aframe. The cage rows of the lower batteries are provided with overhead manure drying sheds upon which some of the droppings from the battery above may be caught. Drying sheds are also provided beneath the lowermost battery to catch the droppings from the lowermost battery as well as any dropping not caught by the overhead sheds.

Keen et al.

[ Oct. 30, 1973 MANURE DRYING SHED ARRANGEMENT [75] Inventors: EverettM. Keen; Anthony J.

Siciliano; David A. Keen, all of f Vineland, NJ,

[73] Assignee: Diamond International Corporation,

New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Dec. 1, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 203,807

52 us. (:1. 119/22, 119/48 [51] Int. Cl A0lk 31/04 [58] Field of Search119/22, 48, 18

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,970,567 2/1961 Rubin119/22 2,987,038 6/1961 Cole 9/22 X 3,385,266 5/1968 Launder et al.119/22 2,309,458 l/l943 Ingraham 119/22 2,448,120 7/1948 Petraske 119/222,492,970 2/1970 Keen et al 119/18 Great Britain 119/22 PrimaryExaminerLouis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. A. Oliff Attorney-Karl W.Flocks [57] ABSTRACT A manure drying shed arrangement forstarter-growerlayer cage batteries, in which chicks are kept and may beraised to maturity, comprising in combination batteries of cage rowssupported by A-frames which are in turn supported on transverselyextending joists. The batteries of cage rows are arranged at differentelevational levels with the topmost battery being supported at the apexof the A-frame. Each battery includes a pair of cage rows each of whichis secured to one leg of the A-frame. The cage rows of the lowerbatteries are provided with overhead manure drying sheds upon which someof the droppings from the battery above may be caught. Drying sheds arealso provided beneath the lowermost battery to catch the droppings fromthe lowermost battery as well as any dropping not caught by the overheadsheds.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Oct. 30, 1973 United States Patent [191 Keenetal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The presentinvention relates to confining and housing devices for poultry, andparticularly to a battery cage row arrangement provided with shedelements upon which manure may be caught and dried.

2. Discussion of the prior art.

It is known that poultry manure initially is 75-80 percent moisture, andin large quantities is difficult to handle because of the weight of thismoisture. Further, the manure is offensive because of its odor and alsobecause it attracts flies which contitute both a nuisance and a healthproblem to the poultry, particularly in confined areas.

With the above considerations in mind it is noted that the prior art hasrecognized the desirability of catching the droppings from overhead cagerows to prevent their falling onto the poultry in the cage rowstherebelow, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,567 to Rubin and U.S.Pat. No. 3,160,141 to Crutchfield.

In the prior art arrangements, however, poultry manure and debris maydrop from the lower cage rows into the pits therebelow before it iseffectively dried.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new andimproved cage row arrangement and method for handling poultry manure.With the arrangement and method as disclosed herein an optimum amount ofmoisture is efficiently and effectively removed from the manure prior toits further handling and removal from the poultry house.

According to this invention batteries of cage rows are arranged onA-frame suports with each battery at a different elevational levelstarting at the A-frame apex. The lower batteries are provided withoverhead drying sheds secured to the roof of each cage row and one legof the A-frame. Drying sheds are provided below the lowermost battery.The sheds below the lowermost battery may optionally be hinged along oneedge to transverse joists or fixedly secured thereto.

The drying of the manure droppings caught on the various sheds isaccomplished by retaining the droppings in a suspended area and movingair across the droppings to remove moisture therefrom. The air movingacross the droppings may be supplied, for example, by a number of fansand the air may be recirculated under the sheds. When the manure hasbeen sufficiently dried, for example to the extent that approximatelyone-third of its original weight has been removed due to moisture driedtherefrom, it may be removed from the sheds by scraping it and conveyingit to a heater-dryer, or spread on the ground as a fertilizer.

With much of the moisture effectively removed from the poultry manure inthe above manner, it is clear that it will be much easier and lessoffensive to handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects andadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of the preferred embodiment accordingto this invention;

FIG. 2 shows an end elevational view, on a reduced scale, of both thepreferred embodiment and an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing details of a dryingshed of the preferred embodiment according to this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end elevational view showing details of thesecond embodiment according to this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the novel manure dryingshed arrangement for starter-grower-layer cage batteries according tothis invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 comprises a battery cage rowarrangement 10. A plurality of A-frames 12, each of which includes legs14 and 16 form the support for the battery cage row arrangement 10. TheA-frames 12 in turn are supported by a plurality of longitudinallyspaced, transversely extending joints 18. As clearly shown in FIG. 1,the preferred embodiment of this invention includes batteries of cagerows 20, 26, and 32 at different elevational levels of the A-frame 12with the battery 20 being fixed to the A-frame 12 at the apex thereof.Each battery comprises two cage rows. Battery 20 thus comprises cagerows 22 and 24, battery 26 comprises cage rows 28 and 30, and battery 32comprises cage rows 34 and 36. It is clear from FIG. 1 that the locationof the cage rows 28 and 30 diverge from the center of the A-frame 12along the legs 14 and 16 as do cage rows 34 and 36. Manure drying sheds29 and 31 are secured to roof portions of the cage rows 28 and 30extending beneath cage rows 22 and 24, respectively. The sheds 29 and 31are also secured to the respective adjacent legs 14 and 16 of theA-frame 12. Similarly, drying sheds 35 and 37 are secured to roofportions of cage rows 34 and 36 and to the adjacent legs 14 and 16,respectively. Each of the sheds 29, 31, 35 and 37 is of substantialwidth and pitched toward the center of the A-frame 12 at an anglecompatible to the inclination of the roof portions on which it issecured. Secured on the underside of the joist 18 are a pair of sheds 19and 21 each of which extends substantially to the center of the A-frame12. As shown the sheds 19 and 21 are hingedly secured to the joist 18 onpivot pins P although they may be fixedly secured to the joist 18. Atthe edges of the sheds 19 and 21 away from the pivot pins P, cables 39and 41 are provided to facilitate raising and lowering the sheds l9 and21. The cables 39 and 41 pass over pulleys 38 and 40, respectively, andmay be connected for example, to a motorized winch.

An upper scraper assembly 42 comprising a connecting rod 43 on which aresecured scraper blades 46 and 48 for scraping manure from sheds 29 and31, respectively, is connected by a common drive cable 50 to a lowerscraper assembly 44 which comprises a connecting rod 45 provided withlegs 47 and 49 for scraping manure from sheds 35 and 37, respectively.The cable 50 is driven by a motor 51 over a plurality of idler pulleysas shown in FIG. 3. It is seen that as the scraper blade 46 is driven inone direction the scraper blade 47 is driven in the opposite direction.In this arrangement it is clear that the motor 51 is a reversible motorand that limit switches would be required to effect the proper operationof the cable driven scraper assemblies 42 and 44. It is clear from FIG.4 that the pitch of the shed 29 facilitates the flow of manure anddebris toward the center of the A-frame arrangement with the looseningthereof from the shed by the scraper blade 46. The scraped manure anddebris-thus gravitates toward the center of the A-frame arrangement andinto the pit 52 with the lower sheds 19 and 21 being dropped to thevertical positions shown in phantom in FIG. 1. A pit scraping conveyor53 may be provided to remove the manure from the pit 52. The drying ofthe manure collected on the various shed elements is effected by movingair across the droppings and under the sheds. With the arrangement ofthe cage rows along the legs of the A-frame 12 an optimum movement andcirculation of air thereacross is afforded. To provide furthereffectiveness in moving air across the various sheds additionalcirculating fans 54 may be strategically placed to both accelerate therate and increase the percentage of moisture removed from the manure.

It is clear from FIG. 1 that much of the droppings from cage rows 22 and24 will be caught on sheds 29 and 31, respectively. Some of thedroppings from cage rows 22 and 24, however, will fall beyond the extentof sheds 29 and 31, respectively, and will be caught by the lower sheds19 and 21. Similarly, much of the droppings from cage rows 28 and 30will be caught on sheds 35 and 37, respectively. The droppings from cagerows 28 and 30 falling beyond the extent of sheds 35 and 37 will also becaught by the lower sheds 19 and 21. As the droppings are caught andheld on the various drying sheds 29, 31, 35, 37, 19 and 21, the scraperassemblies 42 and 44 are inactivated with the driving motors 51 turnedoff. At this time currents of air are moved across the droppings on thesheds and circulated thereunder with the fans 54 turned on for thatpurpose. Upon drying the manure to approximately one-third of itsoriginal weight, the motor 51 may be turned on to activate the scraperassemblies 42 and 44. For example, with the scraper blade 46 moving fromright to left and the scraper blade 47 moving from left to right asshown in FIG. 3, the dry manure may be scraped off the sheds 29 and 35,respectively. It is noted that each of the drying sheds is ofsubstantial breadth, such as shed 29 shown in FIG. 4, for example.Because each of the sheds is of substantial breadth, it thus affords awidespread drying surface rather than a mere deflecting shield.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT Referring to the right portion of FIG. 2, analternative arrangement of this invention may be seen with details shownon a larger scale in FIG. 5. The battery cage row arrangement 10' isgenerally similar to that of the preferred embodiment 10 except that thecage rows 28' and 34' secured on A-frame leg 14' and cage rows 30' and36 secured on leg 16' all include roofs which are substantiallycompletely horizontal. Accordingly, the drying sheds 29', 31, 35' and37', which are secured to the roofs of the cage rows 28, 30, 34' and36', respectively, and the adjacent legs 14' and 16' of the A-frame 12,all extend in a substantially completely horizontal plane. Thus, thescraper blades 46' and 48', for example, which are driven by a cable 50through connecting rod 43, extend in a substantially completelyhorizontal direction above the associated drying sheds 29 and 31.

It is also noted that although the lower drying sheds 19 and 21 as shownin FIG. 1 of the preferred embodiment are adjustable from asubstantially horizontal position to the lowered vertical position shownin phantom, they may instead be permanently secured in a substantiallyhorizontal position.

Although we have described our invention with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only by way of example and that numerous changes and details ofconstruction and the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A manure drying shed arrangement for startergrower-layer cagebatteries in which chicks are kept and may be raised to maturitycomprising in combination a plurality of A-frame members supported onjoist members, batteries of cage rows supported on said A- framemembers, each of said batteries being supported at different elevationallevels on said A-frame members and including a pair of cage rows, one ofsaid batteries being supported at the apex of said Aframe members, atleast a second of said batteries being supported with the cage rowsthereof on separate legs of said A-frame members and diverging from thecenter of said A-frame members downwardly along the legs thereof, firstmanure shed means of substantial width secured over said second batteryand beneath said first battery whereby some of the droppings therefrommay be caught and additional manure shed means of substantial width inthe form of a pair of hinged members secured opposite from the center ofsaid A-frame member and adjacent the foot of each leg of the A-framemembers whereby the droppings from the battery at the apex falling pastthe first manure shed means may be caught and also whereby the droppingsfrom other batteries thereabove may be caught, said hinged membershaving a downwardly extending vertical position and substantiallyhorizontal catching position.

2. The manure drying shed arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that air circulating means are provided to accelerateand increase the time rate and percentage of moisture removed frommanure collected on said shed means.

3. The manure drying shed arrangement according to claim 2,characterized in that the cage rows of said second battery include rooflines which lie in a substantially horizontal plane with said firstmanure shed means secured thereon.

4. The manure drying shed arrangement according to claim 1 characterizedin that said hinged members include cable elements attached to adjacentfree edges thereof to facilitate raising and lowering said hingedlysecured members.

5. The manure drying shed arrangement according to claim 4,characterized in that said cable elements extend over at least onepulley member and may be selectively drawn up or fed out to raise orlower said additional shed means.

6. The manure drying shed arrangement according to claim 5,characterized in that the cage rows of said second battery includes roofportions pitched toward the center of the A-frame members with saidfirst manure shed means fixedly secured thereon at the same pitch.

7. The manure drying shed arrangement according to claim 6,characterized in that at least a third battery of cage rows is fixedlysupported on said A-frame members with the cage rows thereof below thecage rows of said second battery and diverging farther from the centerof said A-frame members.

blies are provided for scraping the manure from the shed means of eachof said second and third batteries with said separate scraper assembliesbeing connected 8. The manure drying shed arrangement according to 5 toa common endless drive cableclaim 7, characterized in that separatescraper assem-

1. A manure drying shed arrangement for starter-grower-layer cagebatteries in which chicks are kept and may be raised to maturitycomprising in combination a plurality of A-frame members supported onjoist members, batteries of cage rows supported on said A-frame members,each of said batteries being supported at different elevational levelson said A-frame members and including a pair of cage rows, one of saidbatteries being supported at the apex of said A-frame members, at leasta second of said batteries being supported with the cage rows thereof onseparate legs of said A-frame members and diverging from the center ofsaid A-frame members downwardly along the legs thereof, first manureshed means of substantial width secured over said second battery andbeneath said first battery whereby some of the droppings therefrom maybe caught and additional manure shed means of substantial width in theform of a pair of hinged members secured opposite from the center ofsaid A-frame member and adjacent the foot of each leg of the A-framemembers whereby the droppings from the battery at the apex falling pastthe first manure shed means may be caught and also whereby the droppingsfrom other batteries thereabove may be caught, said hinged membershaving a downwardly extending vertical position and substantiallyhorizontal catching position.
 2. The manure drying shed arrangementaccording to claim 1, characterized in that air circulating means areprovided to accelerate and increase the time rate and percentage ofmoisture removed from manure collected on said shed means.
 3. The manuredrying shed arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that thecage rows of said second battery include roof lines which lie in asubstantially horizontal plane with said first manure shed means securedthereon.
 4. The manure drying shed arrangement according to claim 1characterized in that said hinged members include cable elementsattached to adjacent free edges thereof to facilitate raising andlowering said hingedly secured members.
 5. The manure drying shedarrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that said cableelements extend over at least one pulley member and may be selectivelydrawn up or fed out to raise or lower said additional shed means.
 6. Themanure drying shed arrangement according to claim 5, characterized inthat the cage rows of said second battery includes roof portions pitchedtoward the center of the A-frame members with said first manure shedmeans fixedly secured thereon at the same pitch.
 7. The manure dryingshed arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that at least athird battery of cage rows is fixedly supported on said A-frame memberswith the cage rows thereof below the cage rows of said second batteryand diverging farther from the center of said A-frame members.
 8. Themanure drying shed arrangement according to claim 7, characterized inthat separate scraper assemblies are provided for scraping the manurefrom the shed means of each of said second and third batteries with saidseparate scraper assemblies being connected to a common endless drivecable.